MLL News and Notes: June 8

Rabil scored a season-high five goals and added two assists as the Cannons handed the defending MLL champion Bayhawks their first loss of the season, a 17-13 setback on Saturday night at Harvard Stadium. He scored three of his five goals in the second half as the Cannons improved to 2-1 on the season. Rabil, who has played in two of the Cannons’ first three games, ranks second on the team with six goals and 11 points.

Defensive Player of the Week
Jesse Schwartzman, Denver Outlaws

Schwartzman led the Outlaws to their third straight win, an 11-10 victory over the Long Island Lizards on Friday night at Shuart Stadium. He made a season-high 18 saves, including eight in the first quarter, while allowing just nine goals as the Outlaws remained the only unbeaten team in the MLL this season. Schwartzman, who has started all three games for the Outlaws this season, leads the MLL with an 8.96 goals against average and a .642 save percentage.

Cascade Rookie of the Week
Billy Bitter, Denver Outlaws

After being held scoreless in his MLL debut against Boston on May 21, Bitter rebounded in the Outlaws’ win over Long Island by scoring three goals for the first “hat trick” of his brief MLL career. Honored as the Bud Light Player of the Game, Bitter scored two of his three goals during the fourth quarter as Denver rallied from a two-point deficit with five goals in the final quarter.

MLL News and Notes

AND THEN THERE WAS ONE: With the Bayhawks’ 17-13 loss against Boston last Saturday, the Denver Outlaws enter Week 4 as the only undefeated team in the MLL this season. Now 3-0 on the season, the Outlaws rallied from a two-point deficit against Long Island to earn an 11-10 victory over the Lizards last Friday night at Shuart Stadium.

IT HAD TO END SOMETIME: The defending MLL champion Chesapeake Bayhawks had their six-game win streak snapped with a loss at Boston on Saturday night. The Bayhawks, who finished the regular season with a 6-6 record last year, won their final two regular season games before earning two postseason victories for their third MLL title. Prior to their six-game win streak, the Bayhawks had lost five games in a row.

GOODBYE, OLD FRIEND: The Chesapeake Bayhawks announced last week that defenseman Shawn Nadelen has retired from playing in Major League Lacrosse, effective immediately. A 2001 graduate of Johns Hopkins University, Nadelen played all 11 years for the Bayhawks and is the franchise’s all-time leader with 95 games played. He also recorded 205 ground balls in his career and was a three-time MLL All-Star. He also earned All-MLL honors in 2005 after helping the Bayhawks win the MLL championship.

A SHOT IN THE ARM: Denver Outlaws midfielder Andrew Hennessey won 17 of 22 face-offs in their 11-10 victory over Long Island on Friday night; he also had eight ground balls in the win. In the first two games of the season, the Outlaws had won just 16 of 59 (.271) face-offs.

HIGH FIVE: Boston Cannons midfielder Paul Rabil scored a season-high five goals with two assists in Saturday’s victory over Chesapeake at Harvard Stadium; it was the second time a player has scored at least five goals in a game this season. It was the fourth time in Rabil’s career that he has scored at least five goals in a game, but it was the first time since July 23, 2009 when he tallied five goals at Toronto.

MAD MAX: While midfielder Paul Rabil received the headlines in the Cannons’ 17-13 win on Saturday night, attackman Max Quinzani quietly scored three goals with a career-high three assists and now leads the MLL with 9 goals and 13 points. Quinzani, who had a four-goal effort against Denver on May 21, has scored 23 goals in just 10 games over the last two seasons while contributing nine assists.

FACE IT: Long Island Lizards midfielder Peter Vlahakis needs just two face-off wins to become the MLL’s all-time leader. Vlahakis, who has 1,014 career face-off wins, would pass Paul Cantabene. Cantabene, who won 1,015 of 1,861 face-off attempts in his career, also ranks as the league’s all-time leader with 538 ground balls. Vlahakis has won 57.4 per cent of his face-off attempts in his career. Vlahakis, a graduate of Fairfield University, is in his eighth season of MLL service, including his sixth with the Lizards.

BICENTENNIAL: Rochester Rattlers attackman Casey Powell needs just three goals to become the seventh player in MLL history to score 200 career goals. A seven-year MLL veteran, Powell has not played in an MLL game since the 2008 season when he helped the Rochester Rattlers win the MLL title. The MLL’s all-time points leader, Powell has scored 197 career goals with 186 assists. The former Syracuse University standout ranks second on the MLL’s all-time assist list behind Conor Gill.

MAN UP: After leading the league in power-play efficiency in each of the last two seasons, the Denver Outlaws have wasted little time getting back to the top of the league rankings. The Outlaws lead the MLL with seven power-play goals and a .539 power play percentage; they are 7-for-13 with the man advantage through three games. In 12 games last year, the Outlaws posted a .400 power-play percentage and were tied for third in the MLL with 16 extra-man goals. They also had a .412 power-play percentage in 2009, scoring a league-high 21 extra-man goals.

MISTER ASSISTER: After opening the season with a goal and three assists, Denver Outlaws attackman Brian Langtry begins this weekend needing four assists to become the 10th player in MLL history to tally 100 career assists. A 10-year veteran, Langtry has recorded 96 assists in his career, including 10 in each of the last two years. Langtry has scored 139 career goals, including 16 two-point markers, along with his 96 assists.